George Osborne's embarrassing hamburger incident has shone a spotlight on
upmarket diner Byron. Where else should burger fans visit?

The flagship restaurant of hamburger tycoon Yianni Papoutsis, MeatLiquor is the temple at which patty addicts worship. Entering it is an oddly nightclub-esque experience: like rather too many trendy London joints, it has an irritating no-reservations policy, so to get one of the much-coveted tables you have to stand in a long queue and endure the slightly patronising ritual of having your hand stamped.

Once inside, the atmosphere doesn’t get any more relaxing - the lights are dim, the music loud and the service is always on the rushed side. But when that plastic tray turns up carrying your paper-wrapped burger, you’ll be glad to have battled through the crowds. The meat is rich and juicy, the fried pickles crunchy and the cocktails top-notch. Junk food, yes, but done exceptionally well.

The marketing shtick of this northern joint is cringe-worthy – everything from the hidden location to the hipster website ("You won't have rocked a burger like it!") feels rather calculatedly trendy. But despite their ridiculous names (50 shades of bacon, anyone?) the burgers are juicy and – most importantly - pink. Also, the owners don’t like ketchup, which in my book sends the place shooting into the burger stratosphere.

Byron (mostly London: major cities including Oxford and Manchester)

There's been a boom in burger chains in recent years, but Byron is undoubtedly the king of them all. This is the John Lewis of burgers: reliable, quality meat in neat and clean (if slightly bland) surroundings. Choose from one of a handful of classic burgers, and cherrypick a wide range of toppings – from jalapeños to Monterey Jack cheese or spicy barbecue sauce. The staff are good with kids too, which counts for something.

'The John Lewis of burgers': Byron (Pic: Alamy)

Patty & Bun, London

Patty & Bun started life as a pop-up, but now has a permanent, if rather cosy, 30-cover base in Marylebone. The industrial-inspired interior isn’t much to look at, but it’s the burgers people flock here for. The meat is sandwiched in a soft brioche bun, accessorised with punchy and sometimes unusual ingredients (The "Lambshank Redemption" is stuffed with baby courgettes cooked in buttermilk.) The only problem is, the burgers tend to verge on the messy/unmanageable side – and who wants to eat one of these beauties with a knife and fork?

Hawksmoor, London

If you prefer your burgers more juicy than junky, there's no better place to turn than the Hawksmoor. The London chain is best known for its steak, but does a decent sideline in upmarket burgers made with high-quality meat (the secret is the small nuggets of bone marrow included in the mix). Unusually, one of the toppings you can opt for is Korean staple kimchi. It goes surprisingly well with cheese.

Street food trader Paul Clark is behind the food at this Brighton boozer, where the regulars will tell you there’s only one burger to go for – The Smoky Mountain. Homemade bourbon bacon jam, barbecue sauce, caramelized onions and smoked local cheese cushion a burger crafted from 35-day aged steak mince. Fast food this is most definitely not.

Lucky Chip, London

It doesn’t sound promising, but East London burger van Lucky Chip is so feted that fans have been known to traipse miles to get their fix. You can find the van at Hackney’s Netil Market on Saturdays, but you can also sample its sinfully trashy concoctions at Hackney pub The Sebright Arms and – if you don’t like to stray too far east of London Bridge – at The Grafton in Kentish Town.

Guilty pleasure: Lucky Chip burgers (Pic: Rex Features)

The Burger Joint, Bristol

Don’t like lettuce? Hate too much mayonnaise? Then head to Bristol favourite The Burger Joint, where you can build your own meaty monstrosity from an impossibly huge list of ingredients (the owners reckon there’s 78,912,800 different combinations of burger, toppings, sauces and sides available). Even better, all the ingredients are top-quality and locally-sourced, too.

The Opera Tavern, London

Sometimes, it’s good to break away from the beef. This Covent Garden tapas restaurant’s signature dish is a mini-burger of Iberico pork and foie gras, sweetened with a dollop of onion marmalade and topped with Manchego cheese. Just remember, tapas are meant for sharing...

Schwartz Bros, Bath

There aren’t many fast food retailers with as devoted a local following as Schwartz Bros. Worshipped by hungry students and tired office workers alike, it has none of the trendiness of London’s new wave of burger joints – this is simple takeaway food, dispensed from a charmless little building a short walk from the Roman Baths. But the burgers are fresh, tasty and – perhaps most importantly – under a fiver a go.